Can I cross out a legal document

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New Member

We've had a client ask us to sign a legal document which basically indemnifies them from everything and gives up all our moral rights etc. We strongly don't agree to certain paragraphs, however other bits are fine. We've asked them to re-draw the document with the scary bits removed, however they've asked us to sign it and say that our email conversation is enough proof that they are happy to omit the bits we don't agree with. Is this the case? I am wondering if it's ok for us to cross out the bits we don't agree with and then sign it?

I've read elsewhere that both parties would need to initial in the margin of the crossed out section.

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Premium Member

Premium Member

Altering a document is not a difficult thing to do. Do you know why your client is reluctant to do this?

My preference would be to sign an altered document. Failing that I would require both parties to initial the crossed out sections, to confirm that they have been crossed out, prior to signing it. Also ensure that the relevant sections are crossed out, in all of the copies signed, that way the client can't produce a signed copy without those sections crossed out.

uix_expanduix_collapse

New Member

Thanks for the reply. The client is a relatively big company and the person we're speaking to is just a freelancer, so I suspect they are just trying to avoid going back to their legal team. But we will send it back to them and ask for a new document to be drawn up.

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